Handle lock



- A March 15, 1949. I 0, w, KNIGHT 7 2,464,587

HANDLE LOCK Filed 001;. 18, 1947 INVENTOR. ORREN W. KmeH-r Patented Mar. 15, 1949 l'rso STAT ATENT OFFICE HANDLE LOCK Application Uctober 18, 1947, Serial No. 780,719

13 Claims.

This invention relates to suction cleaners and has particular relationto a mechanism for looking and unlocking the handle of a suction cleaner so that it may be moved from one position to another, such different positions being desirable in the operation of suction cleaners.

Some of the objects of the invention are to provide, in a suction cleaner:

A handle and handle lock mechanism which is simple, inexpensive and effective;

A handle lock mechanism operable for locking a suction cleaner handle in an upwardly disposed position where it may be employed for moving or parking the cleaner and for releasing. said handle from such position by further angular movement of the handle beyond such parking position;

A control mechanism for suction cleaner handles capable of establishing desirable operating conditions for the handle in all possible positions.

Other and further objects of the invention will be apparent by reference to the accompanying drawings, of which there is one sheet, which by way of illustration show a preferred embodiment and the principles thereof and what I now consider to be the best mode in which I have con templated applying these principles. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the presentinvention and the purview of the appended claims. I also contemplate that of the several different features of my invention, certain ones thereof may be advantageously employed in some applications separate and apart from the remainder of the features.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 illustrates a suction cleaner with a handle having a control mechanism embracing the principles of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view illustrating, partly in broken and partly in full lines, the rear portion of the cleaner body, the pivotal mounting for the handle, and the locking and release mechanism embraced in the control mechanism employed in operating the cleaner handle;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 of the handle and control mechanism therefor, showing the handle in an angular'position beyond the handle parking position in which the locking mechanism is moved into open position to release the handle for movement into cleaner operating position as shown by the dot and dash lines representing a fragment of the handle in the illustration;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational View of the opposite side of the handle and control mechanism, illustrating the handle in operating position, and the cam mechanism employed for controlling the handle in such position;

Fig. 5 is a vertical cross sectional view through the control and handle mechanism illustrated by Fig. 4;. Fig. 5 is taken substantially in the plane of the line 55 on Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional View through the mechanism illustrated by Fig. 5; however, showing the handle in parking position instead of in operating position as the handle is shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 6 is taken substantially in the plane of line 8-6 in Fig. 5, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, the numeral it refers generally to a suction cleaner including a frame or a body H in which is housed the opcrating mechanism of the cleaner, not shown. Such operating mechanism may comprise a motor driven fan for creating a suction through a nozzle 22 formed at the front of the casing II and in which a motor driven agitator or cleaner brush, not shown, may be employed if desired. The body i i is mounted on front wheels l3 and rear wheels it and is adapted to be moved about the floor for cleaning the floor or a floor covering thereon by a handle it which is mounted for pivotal movement on the body ii.

A dust bag ll for cleaning the dust from the air handled by the cleaner is attached to the rear portion of the cleaner body at I 8 and is supported by the handle at the opposite end of the bag, as is indicated at it]. Power in the form of electrical energy is supplied to the cleaner through a cord 2|.

The pivotal mounting for the handle it upon the cleaner body I I comprises a bracket 22 se cured in any suitable manner to a rear portion of the frame H. The bracket 22 comprises side supports 23 and 25 disposed in spaced and parallel relation to one another and projecting upwardly from oppositely ext-ending flanges 2G and 2? by which the bracket 22 is supported. Supports 23 and 24 have an integral web 28 projecting therebetween at the back of the bracket by which the supports are secured rigidly relative to one another.

7 The upper ends of the supports-23 and 2d are provided with aligned openings in which a shaft 29 on which the handle I 6 is pivotally mounted is rotatably received. The shaft is held in position against longitudinal movement within the openings in the supports 23 and 24 by snap rings or other suitable means, not shown. The ends of the shaft 29 beyond the supports 23 and 24 are received and secured in Openings in parallel socket members or discs 32 and 33, in which the handle is terminates, one end of shaft 29 having flats 3| so as to prevent rotation between shaft 29 and the handle socket. An integral web indicated at 34 extends between the discs at the front of the handle and provides means for securing the discs rigidly in spaced relation relative to one another and in parallel relation to the supports 23 and 24.

The handle l9 tends to be resiliently supported upon the body II in a position for operating the cleaner H) by a coil spring 35, the middle portion of which is wound around the shaft 29 between the supports 23 and 24. One end 31 of the spring 36 is bent in such a way as to ext-end downwardly along the edge of web 28 and is hooked in a notch 38 formed at the rear of the support 23. The opposite end of the spring 35 projects away from the shaft 29 in such a way as to engage an intermediate portion of a pin 39 which is secured in aligned openings formed near the edges of the discs 32 and 33 at positions opposite the handle 15. The pin 39 projects beyond the discs 32 and 33 and at the end thereof adjacent the disc 33 is provided with a head 41 which is formed in spaced relation to the end of the pin and which engages the disc 33 for properly spacing the pin relative to the disc. The opposite end of the pin 39 is similarly formed in such manner as to project beyond the disc 32 and is held in proper position relative to the disc 32 by a nut indicated at 42 disposed inwardly of the end of the pin.

It will be apparent from the construction shown that the spring 33 would tend to support the handle I 9 and bag l1 by resiliently opposing the angular movement thereof toward the floor. The spring 35 is strong enough to almost balance the weight of the handle it and bag I1 when the handle it is in operative position. However, the handle and bag will move slowly toward the floor under the weight thereof and against the resilient force exerted by the spring 36.

Referring particularly to Figs. 2, 3 and 5, it will be noted that there is mounted upon the flange 21 of the bracket 22 a locking and releasing mechanism indicated generally at 43. Such mechanism is mounted on a bracket 44 secured on the upper surface of the flange 21 in any suitable manner. The bracket 44 comprises a support 45 which extends vertically of the bracket just outside the plane of the outer surface of the disc 33. A latch 41 and a cam 43 included in the latching and release mechanism referred to are pivotally secured upon the support 45 by shouldered screws and 52 between the support and a plate indicated at 49.

The lower portion of the latch 41 is formed concentrically with respect to the screw 5| at the corner of the latch toward the rear of the cleaner to permit the latch to be rotated rearwardly upon the screws 5i when the upper extremity of the latch is engaged by the pin 39. The front and lower portion of the latch 41 is provided with an abutment or stop indicated at 53 for limiting the opposite rotational movement of the latch 4?. The upper forwardly disposed surface of the latch 41 is formed to provide a hook indicated at 54,

.4 a direction opposite the stop 53. The pin 39 is so located with respect to the shaft 29 and the handle it that the pin will engage the hook 54 just before the handle [5 is rotated upon the shaft 29 into an approximately vertical position with respect to the body II. The further movement of the handle l9 into such approximately vertical position will rotate the latch 41 in a direction opposite the stop 53 and to an extent which is sufflcient to raise the hook 54 until the pin 39 is free to move under the hook 54 and within the latch 41.

A spring 59 having the opposite end thereof secured on pins 51 and 58, respectively projecting laterally from the latch 41 and the cam 48, tends to rotate the latch 41 in such manner as to move the hook 54 over the pin 39 for engaging the latter within the latch 41. At the same time the spring 35 tends to lift the handle H in such manner as to rotate the pin 39 below the hook 54 and within the latch 41. In such position the stop 53 engages the bracket 44, thus preventing further rotation of the latch 41 after the pin is so received within the latch.

The cam 44 also is provided with a concentric portion at the forward end thereof adjacent the screw 52 to permit limited rotation of the cam 48 toward the latch 41 in response to the resilient force resulting from the operation of the spring 55. However, the cam 48 at the lower end thereof adjacent the screw 52 is provided with an abutment or stop indicated by the numeral 59 which is adapted to be rotated by the spring 56 in such manner as to engage the adjacent surface of the latch 41. The spring 55 resiliently urges the abutment or stop 59 against the forward surface of the latch 41 in such manner as to cause the opposite end of the cam 48 to follow the movement of the latch 41 within the limit established by the engagement between the abutment 59 and the latch 41.

When the pin 39 is positioned beneath the hook 54 and inside the latch 41, it will be apparent that the downwardly projecting end of the hook 54 and the stop 53 will tend to prevent further forward movement of the pin 39 and the latch 41 in response to any eirort to move the handle l6 rearwardly into cleaner operating position. Therefore, since it is apparent that the center of gravity of the cleaner body II is in front of the shaft 29 of the handle I6, it will be possible to lift the cleaner by the handle I5 without releasing the latch 41 from the pin 39.

However, as will be apparent from Figs. 2 and 3, it is possible to rotate the latch 41 in a direction such as to move the stop 53 away from the bracket 44 by merely pushing forwardly upon the upper end of the handle in such manner as to cause angular movement of the handle upon the handle shaft 29. Such angular movement of the handle will result in the further rotation of the pin 39 toward the latch 41, and this in turn will so rotate the latch that the pin 39 may be removed from beneath the hook 43 upon opposite rotation of the handle l6. When the latch 41 has been so rotated it will be held in such pin releasing position by the abutment 59 of the cam 48 which in following the movement of the latch 41 becomes engaged in a notch indicated at 6| which is formed in the lower forward end of the latch 41 above the stop 53. When the abutment 59 is so engaged in the notch Bl it is thereupon possible to reverse the movement of the handle l6 and to move the handle angularly upon the shaft 29 rearwardly of the parking position referred to in which the pin 39 is engaged by the latch 41. When the handle is so moved rearwardly of the parking position the movement of the handle may thereafter be continued until the handle is in proper position for operating the cleaner. One of such operating positions is indicated in dot and dash lines extending to the right of Fig. 3.

However, as will be noted from further inspection of the structure shown by Figs. 2 and 3, the angular movement of the handle into operative position previously referred to will carry the pin 39 forwardly against the upper surface of cam 48 which is formed in such manner as to extend into the arcuate path of movement of the pin 39 when the handle [6 is being moved into any of such operative positions. The pin 39 therefore will tend to rotate the cam 48 against the spring 56 in such manner as to release the abutment 59 from the notch BI. As soon as the handle has been moved far enough toward such operating positions to release the latch 47 from the cam 48, the latch will thereafter rotate upon the pin 5! in response to the tension of the spring 56 and until the stop engages the bracket 44. When such stop so engages the bracket 44, the

latch 41 will then be retained by the spring 56 in such position that the hook 54 may be engaged by the pin 39 for opening the latch 4'! whenever the handle [5 is moved upwardly adjacent the aforesaid parking position of the handle.

Referring now to Figs. 4 and 5, and particularly to Fig. 4 where the opposite side of the handle mechanism is shown, it will be noted that the pin 39, which projects beyond the nut 42 from the opposite side of the handle, has an end portion which is adapted to engage and to traverse the adjacent surface of a cam 62 which is adapted to control the handle I6 through and beyond the normal operating positions of the handle. The cam 62 is mounted at one end for limited angular movement with respect to the pin 39 upon a small shaft 53, in an opening formed. at the lower portion of the support 23.. The opposite end of the shaft is likewise rigidly secured in an opening formed in an upwardly projecting end 64 of the flange 25 of the bracket 22. Inside the cam 62 there is provided a spring 66 which is mounted upon the shaft 63 in such manner as to tendto rotate one end of the cam 62 against the pin 39. Such end of the cam 62 is provided with an abutment or stop 67 which is formed on the cam 62 in such manner as to be engaged by the pin 39 when the handle I6 is moved beyond normal operating positions toward the floor. The abutment 61 is urged by the spring 66 into the path of movement of the pin 39. It therefore will limit the normal operating positions of the handle and the movement thereof toward the floor until a sufiicient force is applied to the han .dle to cause movement of the cam 62 against the spring 66 sufficient to move the abutment 61 out of the way of the pin 39. Thereafter the handle may be moved beyond its normal operating positions until the handle is approximately parallel to or engages the floor, if this is desired. In such positions of the handle the cleaner may be moved to any desired extent under any object which will receive the body I l of the cleaner or the handle may be employed in such positions for any other desired purpose.

The opposite end of the cam 62 is formed to provide a stop indicated at 68 which is positioned in such manner as to engage the upper surface of the flange 26 for limiting rotational movement of the cam 62 in response to the operation of the spring 66. When the pin 39 therefore is moved beyond the stop 61, the stop 68 will limit further rotational movement of the cam 62 in such manner that the pin 39 will engage the opposite surface of the stop when the handle is elevated above the floor position previously referred to. After engaging the stop 61 and moving the cam 62 out of the way so that the pin 39 is positioned inside the stop 61, the handle thereafter may be moved angularly in normal cleaner operating positions to any desired extent up to the angular position wherein latch 91 looks the handle in parking position.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is understood that this is capable of modification, and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth, but desire to avail myself of such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a suction cleaner having a body with a handle pivotally mounted thereon for moving said body for cleaning a floor, said handle having a parking position and an operation position betwee said parking position and said floor, said handle and body comprising relatively rotatable members, a control mechanism for locking and releasing said handle in said parking position, said control mechanism comprising latch and cam means pivotally mounted on one of said members, resilient means tending to rotate said latch and cam toward one another, the other of said members having pin means engageable with said latch in said parking position for preventing the movement of said handle toward said operating position, said latch and cam beingengageable by said pin. means and relatively rotatable thereby inopposite directions in response to the angular movement of said handle in opposite directions from said parking position for releasing and resetting said control mechanism.

2. In a suction. cleaner having a body with a handle pivotally mounted thereon for moving said body for cleaning a floor, said handle having a parking position and an operating position between said parking position. and said fioor, said handle and body comprising relatively rotatable members, a control mechanism for locking and releasing said handle in said parking position, said control mechanism comprising relatively rotatable latch and cam means mounted on one of said members, resilient means tending to move said latch and cam toward one another, the other of said members having pin means engageable with said latch in said parking position, said latch in said position being provided with a stop engageable with said one member for limiting the movement of said latch toward said cam, said latch and cam means being engageable by said pin means and relatively rotatable thereby in opposite directions in response to the angular movement of said handle in opposite directions from said parking position for releasing and resetting said control mechanism.

3. In a suction cleaner having a body with a handle pivotally mounted thereon for moving said body for cleaning a floor, said handle having a parking position and an operating position be tween said parking position and said floor, said handle and body comprising relatively rotatable members, a controlmechanism for locking and releasing said handle in said parking position, said control mechanism comprising relatively rotatable latch and cam means mounted on one of said members, resilient means tending to move said latch and cam toward one another, the other of said members having pin means engageable with said latch in said parking position, said latch and cam means being engageable by said pin means and relatively rotatable thereby in opposite directions in response to the angular movement of said handle in opposite directions from said parking position for releasing and resetting said control mechanism, said latch in said position being provided with a stop engageable with said one member for limiting the movement of said latch toward said cam, said cam also being provided with a stop engageable with said latch when said handle is rotated beyond said parking position for locking said latch in open position.

4. In a suction cleaner having a body with a handle pivotally mounted thereon for moving said body for cleaning a floor, said handle having a parking position and an operating position between said parking position and said iioor, said handle and body comprising relatively rotatable members, a control mechanism for locking and releasing said handle in said parking position, said control mechanism comprising relatively rotatable latch and cam means mounted on one of said members, said latch and cam means being relatively rotatable in opposite directions in response to the angular movement of said handle in opposite directions from said parking position, resilient means tending to move said latch and cam toward one another, the other of said mem bers having pin means engageable with said latch in said parking position, said latch in said position being provided with a stop engageable with said one member for limiting the movement of said latch toward said cam, said cam also being provided with a stop engageable with said latch when said handle is rotated beyond said parking position for locking said latch in open position, said cam being engageable by said pin upon movement of said handle into said operating position for rotating said cam away from said latch for releasing said latch from said cam stop.

5. In a suction cleaner having a body with a handle pivotally mounted thereon for moving said body for cleaning a floor, said handle having an upwardly disposed parking position and an. operating position between said parking position and said floor, said handle being movable in said operating position for operating said cleaner, locking mechanism for locking said handle in said parking position, said locking mechanism comprising latch and pin means mounted for opposite rotational movement on said handle and said body, one of said means being movable by the other for locking said handle when said handle is moved from said operating to said parking positions, said means being responsive to the angular movement of said handle beyond said parking position for releasing said latch and pin means, said pin and latch means being disposed at one side and externally of said handle.

6. In a suction cleaner having a body with a handle pivotally mounted thereon for moving said body for cleaning a floor, said handle having an upwardly disposed parking position and an operating position between said parking position and said floor, said handle being movable in said operating position for operating said cleaner, locking mechanism for locking said handle in said parking position, said locking mechanism comprising latch and pin means mounted for rotational movement on said handle and said body, one of said means being rotatable by the other for locking said handle when said handle is moved from said operating to said parking positions, said latch comprising stop means for limiting the rotational movement thereof in one direction, and resilient means tending to rotate said latch in said direction, said pin and latch means being disposed at one side and externally of said handle.

7. In a suction cleaner having a body with a handle pivotally mounted thereon for moving said body for cleaning a floor, said handle having an upwardly disposed parking position and an operating position between said parking position and said floor, said handle being movable in said operating position for operating said cleaner, locking mechanism for locking said handle in said parking position, said locking mechanism comprising latch and pin means mounted for rotational movement on said handle and said body, one of said means being rotatable by the other for locking said handle when said handle is moved from said operating to said parking positions, said latch comprising stop means for limiting the rotational movement thereof in one direction, resilient means tending to rotate said latch in said direction, and a cam positioned adjacent said latch, said cam in one position being adapted to prevent the rotational movement of said latch against said stop for holding said latch in open position, said pin and latch means being disposed at one side and externally of said handle.

8. In a suction cleaner having a body with a handle pivotally mounted thereon for moving said body for cleaning a floor, said handle having an upwardly disposed parking position and an operating position between said parking position and said floor, said handle being movable in said operating position for operating said cleaner, locking mechanism for locking said handle in said parking position, said locking mechanism comprising latch and pin means mounted for rotational movement on said handle and said body, one of said means being rotatable by the other for locking said handle when said handle is moved from said operating to said parking positions, said latch comprising stop means for limiting the rotational movement thereof in one direction, resilient means tending to rotate said latch in said direction, and a cam positioned adjacent said latch, said cam in one position being adapted to prevent the rotational movement of said latch against said stop for holding said latch in open position, said cam and pin being engageable when said handle is moved toward said operating position for moving said cam into a different position for rendering said cam inoperative to prevent said rotational movement of said latch against said stop, said pin and lat-ch means being disposed at one side and externally of said handle.

9. In a suct on cleaner having a body with a handle pivotally mounted thereon for moving said body for cleaning a floor, said handle having an upwardly disposed parking position and an operating position between said parking position and said floor, said handle being movable in said operating position for operating said cleaner, locking mechanism for locking said handle in said parking position, said locking mechanism comprising latch, pin and cam means mounted for rotational movement on said handle andbody, said latch and cam means being rotatable in opposite directions by said pin means upon angular movement of said handle in said parking and operating positions, and spring means associated 9 with said latch and cam for efi'ecting the return movement of said latch and cam, said pin and latch means being disposed at one side and externally of said handle.

10. In a suction cleaner having a body with a handle pivotally mounted thereon for moving said body for cleaning a floor, said handle having an upwardly disposed parking position and an operating position between said parking position and said floor, said handle being movable in said operating position for operating said cleaner, locking mechanism for locking said handle in said parking position, said locking mechanism comprising latch, pin and cam means mounted for rotational movement on said handle and body, said latch and cam means being rotatable in opposite directions by said pin means upon angular movement of said handle in said parking and operating positions, and spring means associated with said latch and cam for efiecting the return movement of said latch and cam, said latch and cam being engageable with one another for preventing the return movement of said latch when said handle is moved beyond said parking position, said pin and latch means being disposed at one side and externally of said handle.

11. In a suction cleaner having a body with a handle pivotally mounted thereon for moving said body for cleaning a floor, said handle having an upwardly disposed parking position and an operating position between said parking position and said floor, said handle being movable in said operating position for operating said cleaner, locking mechanism for locking said handle in said parking position, said locking mechanism comprising latch, pin and cam means mounted for rotational movement on said handle and body, said latch and cam means being rotatable in opposite directions by said pin means upon angular movement of said handle in said parking and operating positions, and spring means associated with said latch and cam for efiecting the return movement of said latch and cam, said latch and cam being engageable with one another for preventing the return movement of said latch when said handle is moved beyond said parking position, said cam being engageable by said pin when said handle is moved toward said operating position for rendering said latch and cam engagement inefiective, said pin and latch means being disposed at one side and externally of said handle.

12. In a suction cleaner having a body with a handle pivotally mounted thereon for moving said body for cleaning a floor, said handle having an upwardly disposed parking position and an operating position between said parking position and said floor, said handle being movable in said operating position for operating said cleaner, locking mechanism for locking said handle in said parking position, said locking mechanism comprising latch, pin and cam means mounted for rotational movement on said handle and body, said latch and cam means being rotatable in opposite directions by said pin means upon angular movement of said handle in said parking and operating positions, and spring means associated with said latch and cam for effecting the return movement of said latch and cam, said latch and cam being provided with a notch in one engageable by the other for preventing the return movement of said latch when said handle is moved beyond said parking position, said pin and latch means being disposed at one side and externally of said handle.

13. In a suction cleaner having a body with a handle pivotally mounted thereon for moving said body for cleaning a floor, said handle having an upwardly disposed parking position and an operating position between said parking position and said floor, said handle being movable in said operating position for operating said cleaner, locking mechanism for locking said handle in said parking position, said locking mechanism comprising latch, pin and cam means mounted for rotational movement on said handle and body, said latch and cam means being rotatable in opposite directions by said pin means upon angular movement of said handle in said parking and operating positions, and spring means associated with said latch and cam for effecting the return movement of said latch and cam, said latch and cam being provided with stops engageable with one another and with adjacent parts of said cleaner for limiting the return movement of said latch and cam when said handle is moved in said positions, said pin and latch means being disposed at one side and externally of said handle.

ORREN W. KNIGHT.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Rasmussen Sept. 16, 1947 Number 

